Wallpaper applying device



Nov. 18, 1958 w. A. FLEMING WALLPAPER APPLYING DEVICE Filed Jan. 4, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. WILUAM A. FLEMING Nov. 18, 1958 w. A. FLEMING 2,850,303

WALLPAPER APPLYING DEVICE Filed Jan. 4, 1956 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IHIHIHHI 22 INVENTOR.

WILLIAM A. FLEMING ATTORNEY United States 2 Patent 2,860,803 WALLPAPER APPLYING DEVICE William A. Fleming, Hackensack, N. J.

.Application January 4, 1956, Serial N 0. 557,315

1 Claim. (Cl. 216-7) My invention relates to wallpaper applying devices and in particular to those devices which may be utilized to apply the paste to the paper and to then apply the paper to a wall or ceiling. My invention is also adaptable to use as an applicator of water or any other liquid wallpaper paste softener which are commonly referred to as wallpaper removers. It may also be utilized to apply the paste directly to the wall.

Devices produced in accordance with my invention may be employed to perform either of the decorating functions described above depending only upon the users making the necessary adjustments in the machines arrangement of the driving and driven members.

.While other wallpaper hanging devices have been described heretofore, none of them have come into common use due either to their bulk or to their difficulty of operation. The standard practice for hanging wallpaper still remains, namely: to cut the paper to size; place it on a fiat board face down; apply suflicient paste; and then pick up the pasted sheet and apply it to the surface to i be decorated. This system has many disadvantages for the average home decorator since it is difiicult to maneuver easily in the average room when there is any furniture in the room. Since it is not always feasible or practical to remove everything from a room of the average home, it is a distinct advantage to be able to apply paste to the paper in a continuous roll and to apply the paper to the surface being decorated to the correct length without having to set up a special paste board and then carry the full length of pasted paper to the location.

Similarly, when removing wallpaper from a wall or ceiling, preparatory to redecorating, it is necessary to moisten the paper quite thoroughly with water or some other liquid paste-solvent. The ideal method is to spray large quantities of the liquid all over the wall or ceiling area and allow it to soak on the paper for a considerable length of time. This should be done several times so that the paper may be peeled from the surface very easily and so that the hardened paste remaining on the wall is softened and may be easily removed. It is obvious that such a method may not be employed in any room in which any of the furnishings remain in the room during the redecorating process. So that, as a practical matter, it is necessary to apply the moistening agent to the old wallpaper by hand with a sponge or rag. This method is very time consuming and unsatisfactory.

Accordingly, it is a principal object of my invention to provide a wallpaper hanger and remover applicator wherein wallpaper is carried on a'continuous roll, paste is applied thereto and the pasted wallpaper is applied directly to the surface to be decorated in a continuous strip.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a wallpaper hanger and remover applicator wherein moistening liquid may be applied to wallpaper on a decorated surface so as to soak the surface thoroughly without splashice ing or splattering the liquid on surfaces which are to be kept free of moisture.

It is a still further object of my invention to provide a wallpaper hanger and remover applicator wherein paste maybe easily applied directly to the wall.

It is a still further object of my invention to provide a wallpaper hanger and remover applicator wherein the wallpaper paste is applied evenly to the roll thereby enabling the user to hang the wallpaper smoothly and evenly.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a rear elevational view, partly broken away, of a preferred embodiment of my invention,

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view along the line 22 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a horizontal plan view, partly broken away, of the embodiment of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view along the line 4-4 of Figure 3, and

Figure 5 is a side elevational" view showing the liquid dampening belt applied to the paste and applicator rollers. In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration, is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 20 designates the tank, generally. The paste roller is designated by 22, the applicator roller by 21 and the wallpaper roll by 23. The wallpaper is designated by 23a. Slots 24 are provided in sides 20a and 20b of tank. 20 such that rod 25 may be inserted therein and move up and down in 24 depending on the size of roll 23- which is carried by 25. Roll 21- is mounted on red 26 which is journalled at one end into side 20b of tank 20 and at the other end is fixedly attached to gear 32. Roll 22 is mounted on rod 27 which is journalled at one end into side 20b of tank 20 and at the other end is fixedly attached to gear 33.

Paste spreader arms 28 are journalled in sides 20a and 20b of tank 20 and serve to support paste spreader 29 between them. Adjustment screws 30 serve to adjust the positions of paste spreader arms 28. Idler gear 31 is mounted by means of rod 31a and pin 31b to side 20a of tank 20 and serves to couple the motion of gears 32 and 33 which are journalled in side 20a. Belt 34 may be supported by rollers 21 and 22 for use in certain operations.

Applicator roll 21 is covered with a reasonably soft resilient material which has a long life cycle in use, such as sponge rubber.

The tank walls 20a and 20b are preferably formed separately from tank 20 and are fitted into slots or similar receptacles provided in 20 after assembly of the balance of the mechanism has been accomplished. This method of fabrication permits devices, made in accordance with my invention, to be easily stored during periods of nonuse and to be adequately cleaned and maintained. I prefer to make gears 31, 32 and 33 removable from rods 31a, 26 and 27 so that the assembly and construction is simplified. If desired, gears 32 and 33 may be permanently swaged or otherwise permanently attached to rods 26 and 27 respectively. To simplify assembly, I choose to make gears 32 and 33 the same but the operation of my invention will be equally satisfactory if they are of different dimensions.

Gears 31, 32 and 33 constitute a motion transmission system and any other type of motion transmission system, which is applicable to driving the rolls, may be employed with equally good results. For example, friction cones, friction rollers or belt drives may be utilized with equal efliciency.

In operation, the sides 20a and 20b are assembled with rods 26 and .27, rollers 21 and .22, and gears 31, 32.and 33 properly located and positioned and then placed in positionin the slots (not shown) in tank20. Tank 20 .is filled with paste, .rod 25 is fitted inside wallpaper roll 23 and 25 is fitted in slots '24 in 20a and.20b. 23 .iscarried down by the force of gravity until it rests .on 22. 23a is pulled by hand so that it extends beyond roll 21 and will feed evenly. Adjustments .30 are set so that spreader 29 removes excess paste from 23a and distributes the remainder evenly over 230. As wallpaper 23a is pulled over roller 21, itcauses gear 32 .to rotate which in turn rotates idler gear 31 whichin turn rotates gear .33 and roller 27. Roller 27 is composed of a suitable material to which the paste will adhere for a short time so that, as it rotates, it carries fresh paste up to 23 and applies it to the back of wallpaper 23a.

Tank 20 may be held in one hand-while adjustment of the length and matching is done with the other hand .or it may be left on the floor and the adjustments of length and matching may be made with both hands.

Wallpaper may be attached to walls at room .corners by holding the device at .a slight angle across thecorner to be decorated and adjusting the match of the wallpaper applied to the wall against the adjacent sheet and around the wall corner.

Application of wallpaper to a room ceiling is accomplished in the same manner as that described for a wall.

When devices, produced according to my invention, are used to apply water, liquid paste remover or paste to a surface, it is necessary to install belt 34 around rolls 21 and 22. For these operations, wallpaper roll 23 is not inserted in the device. Gear 31, rods 26 and 27 and gears 32 and 33 are fitted in the proper positions in side 20a and belt 3 is placed over 26 and 27. Then rods 26 and 27 are placed in the proper positions in 20b and 20a and 20b are inserted in 20. If wallpaper is to be removed from a surface, tank 20 is filled to the proper level with Water or some other suitable paste softener. If paste is to be applied directly to a wall, tank 20 is filled to the proper level with paste.

Adjustment screws 30 are adjusted so that spreader 29 is just in contact with belt 34 and the excess liquid is removed from 34 during operation. The portion .of 34 around 21 is placed in contact with the wall or ceiling and the device is moved so that roller 21 moves over the surface. This action causes gear 32 to rotate which causes gear 33 to turn due to the coupling action of idler gear 31. Rod 22 and roller 27 are rotated due to the motion of 33. Belt 34, therefore, moves continuously around rollers 21 and 22 carrying liquid from 20 and applying it to the surface with which belt 34 is in contact due to the pressure of roller 21.

While I have described my invention by means of specific examples and in specific embodiments, I do not wish to be limited thereto, for obvious modifications will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the subjoined claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

A wallpaper applying device comprising a receptacle, a liquid applying roller rotatably mounted in said receptacle on one side thereof, means for supportinga roll of paper above said liquid applying roller such that said paper on said roll is in contact with said liquid applying roller, an applicator roller rotatably mounted in said receptacle on the opposite side of said receptacle from said liquid applying roller, means for removing excess References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 807,685 Pelham Dec. 19, 1.905 888,222 Charron May 19, 1908 1,412,402 Grigas Apr. 11, 1922 1,932,727 Faulkner Oct. 3-1, 1933 2,521,333 Bodell Sept. 5, 19.50 2,662,658 Wynn Dec. 15, .1953

FOREIGN PATENTS 143,929 Switzerland Dec. :15, 193.0 

